The hubble space telescope is living its last stage above our heads: after more than three decades scrutinizing space and the arrival of its predecessor, the extremely powerful James Webb observatory, the NASA plan your retirement. But this could happen later than expected, since the US space agency has opened a period for private companies to present their initiatives and exploit the old Hubble commercially.
The first will be SpaceXthe company of the controversial Elon Musk, which has just signed an agreement to study the feasibility of the observatory being towed by a ship Crew Dragon -the one that right now transports NASA astronauts to the International Space Station– to a higher orbit.
SpaceX, in association with the Programa Polaris, proposed this study to better understand the technical challenges associated with service missions. This study is not exclusive, and other companies may propose their own plans “with different rockets or spacecraft as models,” NASA explains in a statement. The teams expect the study to take about six months to collect all the information from both Hubble and the Crew Dragon spacecraft. These data will help determine whether it would be possible to safely assemble, dock, and move the telescope to a more stable orbit.
“This study is an exciting example of the innovative approaches that NASA is exploring through public-private partnerships,” he noted. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “As our fleet grows, we want to explore a wide range of opportunities to support the strongest and most superlative science missions possible.”
Extending the life of Hubble
Hubble has been operating since 1990 at about 540 kilometers above Earth in a slowly decaying orbit over time. Boosting the observatory to a higher, more stable orbit could add several years of operations to its life. However, NASA has stated that it has no plans to carry out a mission of its own. Even so, it does suggest that other companies commercially exploit the mythical space telescope. At the end of its useful life, NASA plans to deorbit or dispose of Hubble safely.
“SpaceX and the Polaris Program want to push the boundaries of current technology and explore how trade associations can creatively solve complex and challenging problems,” said Jessica Jensen, vice president of Customer Operations and Integration at SpaceX. “Missions like sustaining Hubble would help us expand space capabilities to ultimately help us all achieve our goals of becoming a space-traveling, multi-planetary civilization.”